Border Patrol takes another $1 million of illicit drugs off the streets

Border Patrol agents at the Interstate 8 checkpoint east of San Diego hauled in more than $1 million in cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and heroin in separate incidents over the weekend.

Both narcotics busts yielded an estimated street value of $1,085,800.

The first encounter involved a 43-year-old male United States citizen driving a Volvo. The man’s nervous demeanor prompted agents to direct the vehicle to the secondary inspection area.

“A Border Patrol K-9 team performed a cursory inspection of the vehicle resulting in a positive alert to the driver’s side door. Agents searched the vehicle and discovered two non-factory compartments beneath the driver and front passenger seats,” said Scott Simon, Border Patrol San Diego Sector Information and Communication Division. “The hidden compartments contained 22 bundles of crystal methamphetamine that weighed 34 pounds and had an estimated street value of $510,000. Agents also discovered two bundles of heroin that weighed 5.2 pounds and were worth an estimated $67,600.”

The second drug bust involved a 46-year-old male Mexican national driving a Dodge Ram. Again, agents sent the vehicle to the secondary inspection area and requested the Border Patrol K-9 team to inspect the truck for illegal drugs. The K-9’s alerted Border Patrol agents to a positive drug scent behind the truck’s front bumper and detained the driver.

“Agents searched the truck and discovered 22 packages of cocaine in the frame rails with a total weight of 50.82 pounds and an estimated street value of $508,200,” according to Simon.

The suspected drug smugglers and all the narcotics were seized and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for further investigation. Border Patrol impounded both vehicles.

Border Patrol encourages anyone to report suspicious activity to the San Diego Border Patrol Sector at (619) 498-9900.

For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.